Country Nights, City Lights
by smileslikesunset
Summary: It was clear from the moment he met her that Maya Hart did not belong in Texas, but Lucas is starting to think that he might not either. Some things are brighter than the stars. Lucaya. AU.
1. Not So Ordinary

**A/N:** This is a story I have been working on since May, and the more I write it the more I realized I did not want it to be just a one-shot. So, after consulting tumblr, I decided to post it as a series of min-chapters. Because I have so much already written, I plan to update on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I hope you guys enjoy!

This is a Maya moves to Texas AU. I know the lovely lucaya is in the middle of _archer city, texas_ and tiramisuspice just began _The Art of Seduction_. Both writers are fabulous, so go check out their work!

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Lucas first met her on the third Sunday of September, surrounded by spring flowers and tendrils of summer blonde hair.

It was almost sunset, the sky taking on the orange hue that indicated the end of a perfectly good weekend. He had been out riding, ignoring his father's warning that if he did not finish his chores by nightfall Lucas would have more things to worry about then winning Friday's football game. He had just been about to turn back to the stables when he saw her lying with her back resting on one of the only trees with a trunk wide enough to lean on and a sketchbook in hand.

Her hair matched the gold of the sky as it fell down her back in spiral waves, and her hands moved with choreographed fluidity, like liquid and solid fighting for dominance at the tip of the pen. It might have been sunset, but this girl opened up a new horizon

Of course, at the time Lucas had no way of knowing that.

With a cocky grin quirking at the edge of his lips, the country boy trotted over with all the swagger a high school sophomore could muster, his pride only slightly wounded when the girl did not immediately look up from her drawing.

"I believe this is private property you're trespassing on, m'am," Lucas said, still smirking.

The girl still did not look up, her pencil still dancing across the sketch, but spoke in a voice lower than he would have thought, "I didn't see a sign."

"That's because everyone around here knows this is my land," the tanned-teen said. "And something tells me that you, darling, aren't from here."

Even if it wasn't for the fact that Lucas had spent his whole life in the small, rural town of Buda just outside of Austin, Texas, it would not take a genius to know this girl did not belong amongst the boot-leg jeans and belt-buckles. One look at her leopard-print ankle boots, better designed to ride the subway than a horse, and the shiny leather jacket covering her arms despite the heat was enough to tell that wherever this girl was from, it was not the south.

She finally looked up from her sketch, meeting Lucas' gaze with a pair of startling blue eyes. There were a lot of blonde-haired, blue-eyed girls in Texas, but none of the ones Lucas knew had ever had such a sharp stare or wildly curled hair. She raised a thick, well-groomed eyebrow at him.

"Oh? Ya going to kick me off then, cowboy?" she asked, voice neither flirtatious nor annoyed. "Because I was told there was something called hospitality in the south."

Lucas raised his hands in the air from his place on top his horse, still studying her face. He couldn't place her slight accent, but he assumed it was from somewhere in the northeast-his momma had told him about their sharp tongues.

"By all means, stay as long as you want," He knew his dad would not be happy if he knew that Lucas wasn't going to kick her off their land, but that made letting her stay all the more appealing. "But I should warn you not to stay too late after dark. That's when the coyotes come out."

"You're joking." the girl deadpanned. When Lucas did not answer her, she gave a rueful laugh and shook her head. "This place just keeps getting better and better."

Lucas stepped down from his horse, holding the reins in his hands as he gave a casual shrug. "I mean, I could stay around here and protect you-you could doodle in your little diary all night long if you wanted- but it is going to cost you."

The blonde girl let out a disgusted noise as she promptly got up. She was shorter than Lucas would have thought, no taller than 5'1 despite the heels of her boots, and before he could tell what was happening she kicked him so hard in the knee that he had to let go of the reigns as his leg gave out.

Lucas cried out in pain as she walked away with her sketchbook in hand, with a swing of her hips no girl in Texas would ever be able to mimic, and it took Lucas a moment to realize why he had been assaulted in the first place.

"Your name!" he cried out as he got up, trying to cool his heated cheeks. "I meant your name!"

The girl did not answer him. Instead she made her way to the nearby barbed wire fence, and climbed over it as if she had been doing so her entire life, turning back one last time to wave her middle finger high in the air before walking off.


	2. Something Going On

**A/N:** Another mini chapter for you! Thanks for the lovely reviews I have received so far. This story is honestly a kind of experiment. I normally prefer to upload longer one-shots, but I thought breaking this up would interesting. Because the chapters are so short, I'm thinking about changing my update dates to monday, wednesday, and friday. What do you guys think?

Anyways, I try to reply to all reviews. I am on vacation right now, but hopefully by tomorrow afternoon everyone will be responded to!

Enjoy :)

* * *

She walked in without saying a word, ignoring all the whispers as she claimed the only open seat in the back-row. Her headphones were in, and despite the staring she did not look up from her phone as her thumbs moved across the keypad. In intricate layers and a tight little skirt, the blonde did not blend in with the town anymore than she had when Lucas had seen her the night before. If she noticed him sitting only three seats away from her, she didn't acknowledge it. He thought about throwing a piece of paper at her shoulder to get her attention, but his bruised knee told him better.

The whole class ogled her as if she were a cow with two heads. Lucas felt an elbow nudge him, and he turned to see Zay giving the new girl's legs an appreciative once over followed by a low whistle.

"Damn," he breathed. "They don't make stems like that in Texas."

Lucas was about to open his mouth to comment, not that he had been checking out the new girl, the only thing he noticed about her legs was their freakish strength when she kicked him, but stopped when Mr. Stalzworth entered the room. Their history teacher's balding head and long gray beard made him look closer to eighty then forty.

Everyone turned back around in their seats, straightening, with the exception of Lucas, his friends in the back row, and the new girl. She was still typing away on her phone, headphones blaring some pop-song Lucas couldn't recognize from the muffled sound. Stalzworth's eyes found the blonde instantly, and a scowl crossed his wrinkled features. He coughed loudly, but the girl didn't look up from her phone.

"Miss Hart," the teacher said, his voice taking on the tone that could even make Lucas and his football buddies flinch. He walked down the row, standing directly above her desk and tugged out one of her ear phones, "Ahem...Miss Hart."

The girl blinked and looked up at the teacher with innocent blue eyes, offering a-little-too-clueless smile, but not saying anything. Mr. Stalzworth let out a sigh.

"Since you are new, I will not give you detention. But fair warning, Miss Hart, I do not allow electronics in my class and I do not," he paused for emphasis. " Take kindly to disrespect. I don't know how they do things in New York, but here was pride ourselves in running a proper institution."

He turned around just in time for the new girl to roll her eyes as she stuffed her phone in her bag. Lucas almost snorted.


	3. Homegrown Honey

Maya. Maya Hart.

It took Lucas three periods to finally learn her name.

Not that he was trying, of course.

According to Molly Chester, the school's biggest gossip, Maya was a sophomore. She grew up in New York and was staying up with Leslie Rodgers, her aunt, for the rest of high school due to undisclosed complications back home.

By sixth period lunch it was clear that they shared a similar schedule. It was a small school, and it wasn't uncommon for students of the same grade to partake in the same classes with the exception of electives. Lucas had already had History, Algebra II, and English with her. The other two morning periods where a mystery but, judging by the sketchbook she kept grabbing out of her bag, he assumed she had art as at least one of her electives. As for her afternoon classes, the French II book she kept scowling at made Lucas guess she would be joining him with Prof Minor in 7th period which only left chemistry, his eighth period.

Not that he had thought about this.

"I hear she was a model in New York, that's why her clothes are so shiny," Delilah Foster said over her lunch tray, Asher Garcia's arm draped across her shoulders. The head cheerleader bounced in her seat, green eyes lit up with excitement-it was not everyday Robert E. Lee High School had such an interesting lunch topic to discuss.

Lucas sat with his usual friends, a myriad of jocks, cheerleaders, and pretty faces, at the center of the lunchroom. Most of the guys usually stared down at their phones with disinterest at their girlfriends gossiped, but the new girl had gotten everyone curious. Which was good, because then Lucas did not feel like an idiot for listening. To his right, wedged far too close between him and Zay for his liking, Madison Blakely scoffed.

"As if. She's too short to be a model, not pretty enough either. Right, Lucas?" the brunette turned to face him, looking up expectantly. With pretty brown eyes and long curly lashes, Lucas could remember why he had dated her freshman year. Her speaking to him now made him remember why they broke up.

His gaze found Maya at the end of the lunchroom, sitting alone with her headphones back in and sketchbook in front of her face. It seemed she hadn't bothered to buy a lunch or had eaten something before she entered the cafeteria, because every time Lucas looked her way her attention was fully on the picture in front of her.

"Yeah, right," he mumbled, not really thinking as he watched a loose blonde curl fall by Maya's cheek. "Whatever you say."


	4. Wildwood Flower

**A/N:** Hey guys! Sorry for missing wednesday's update. It was a bit crazy, so I am making up for it today. Unfortunately this is probably the miniest of the mini chapters which is why I have decided to upload TWO chapters today in addition to friday's update.

Thanks for all the love and support of this story!

* * *

Lucas had been right about 7th period French, so he was not surprised to see the small blonde girl traipse into the 8th period Chemistry after him. She stood at the front of the class with a furrow in her brows that indicated she not quite sure where to sit. This was the first class where being alone was not an option thanks to the lab tables built for two, Lucas couldn't help but feel bad for her.

Then he remembered his knee, and his sympathy simmered.

Coach Johnson noticed Maya standing at the front of the room and offered a warm smile. Coach of the girl's soccer team, the young teacher was a personal favorite to many of Lee's students.

"You must be Maya," Lucas could hear her say from his seat next to Dylan Orlando, who was beginning to snore as he used his letterman to make a makeshift pillow on top of the desk. "I'm Coach Johnson. It's always nice to see a new face. Now let's see, who can I put you with…"

The teacher's eyes roamed across the classroom. All the students were in pair except for Emily Bradshaw, self-proclaimed future nobel-prize winner and obnoxious know-it-all. Lucas smirked at the thought of the quick-tempered blonde being forced to deal with her company. Coach Johnson's gaze stopped on Emily, but then turned to Lucas and Dylan.

"Lucas," the coach said brightly. "I seem to recall us discussing you and your partner," she looked pointedly at Dylan who was already beginning to drool, "having difficulties paying attention during labs. Perhaps Maya will be what you need to regain some focus." Coach Johnson tapped her knuckles hard against the desk as she stopped in front of their desk and gave and cleared her throat extra loud so the sleeping football player jolted awake, "Dylan. You can go join Emily."

Dylan gave Lucas a confused look as he grabbed his chemistry book and stalked over to his new lab partner, Maya Hart replacing him in his seat. Lucas sat, his mouth slightly agape as his teacher returned to the front of the class and began explaining molecules.


	5. Coat of Many Colors

**A/N:** The chapter names, for those of you who are curious, are based on famous country songs. :)

Enjoy! This one is a longer one.

* * *

It turns out Maya was an even worse lab partner than Dylan.

Lucas had wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. They had obviously gotten off on the wrong foot-namely her foot colliding with his knee, but that was a technicality. She just wasn't used to southern charm-there were scary people in New York, surely she had to be careful- and once she gave him a chance, she would like him like everyone else in Lee High School.

That wasn't what happened.

She ignored him, and ignored the lessons. Lucas had not seen her talk to one person since her first day. She was always on her phone or working in her sketchbook. Lucas would try to talk to her between classes, offer her a hello and a friendly smile, but she would stare through him as if he didn't exist, or raise an eyebrow in his direction before returning to her sketches.

When it came time to complete their first lab she lazily swirled the contents in one of the beakers, not bothering to read the instructions on the board while Lucas tried to identify the proper solution.

"Are you even going to try to help?" he asked her, his annoyance as apparent as colored solution in the glass vials. The blonde girl did not bother to look his way.

"Science isn't my thing, Huckleberry" she retorted. Lucas would have been surprised to hear her voice if he wasn't so frustrated.

"Yeah, well, it isn't my thing either."

Maya placed the vial back in it's holder and leaned back on her stool, somehow balancing where she did not topple over. "Then I guess we are both screwed."

When he came back the next day with a 'D' written across the top of his lab report, the football player had to hold back a scream. He glared at Maya the whole period. Even though Lucas knew his coach would not bench him despite the grade penalty, he still could not get over the fact that ultimately their bad grade was Maya's fault, and, by the half-second glance she awarded their lab report, she did not even care.

She called him Ranger Rick.

Seriously, who did that?

It was like this new high school was a game to her, and that being from New York made her an automatic winner. She would waltz in with her intricately layered and purposefully ripped clothing, always paired with some impractical shoe (not that he took notice. Since coming, she had not attended one football game or pep rally (not that he had been looking for her). Maya Hart did not care about anything that happened to her while in little Buda Texas

But if she wanted to play games, Lucas could play games. Despite the fine line that painted her lips, the high school quarterback would put on his most mesmerizing smile, the ones that made all the girls at the rodeo squeal and teacher's ignore his late assignments and hot temper. He greeted her in every class, sometimes even pulling out her chair. He ignored her icy-blue eye rolls and snorts of indignation, tipping an imaginary hat in her direction every time she gave him a sarcastic "Thanks, Ranger Rick." It was hard to tell whether or not she was annoyed or amused.

Finally the third Friday since she arrived, it appeared Lucas had finally won a match. The blonde plopped down on the lab stool beside him with her safety goggles fastened securely over her eyes and apron tied around her waist and after five minutes of scribbling down lab instructions from the board while Luca gaped at her asked him, "Could you pass the sodium?"

When Lucas did not respond right away, she turned and gave him her signature eyebrow raise. "Well, Huckleberry?"

Wordlessly he passed her the vial, waiting for the moment where she threw it at his face, but she just mixed it with the proper solution and jotted down notes in her notebook. She wasn't even doodling outside the margins, but instead was giving her undivided attention to the work at hand.

With the both of them working on the lab it did not take nearly as much time to finish as the previous ones had. Turns out, despite her sketching and disinterested facade, Maya seemed to pay attention to Coach Johnson during her lectures so that she knew what she was doing. She corrected Lucas a few times during the practice, grabbing vials out of his hand as he made improper measurements and grabbed the wrong chemicals. When they showed their final solution and lab report to Coach Johnson's smile and nod of approval, and they still had fifteen minutes before the end of class.

"So, science isn't your thing," he said as they sat at their desk, gaze flickering across the room to watch as Emily chastised Dylan for causing their experiment to make a small geyser in the air, voice full of teasing skepticism. Still, Maya's features remained guarded. After a moment's pause he turned his full attention on her, leaning forward. "What changed your mind?"

Maya let out an unladylike snort, earning her a disgusted look from two girls in front of them. "Don't flatter yourself, Sundance. I promised my best friend I would try to get good grades."

"You have friends?" Lucas asked, the surprise in his voice somewhat genuine. Maya didn't seem offended.

"A best friend," she corrected.

"And you listen to her when she tells you to do good in school?" he asked, not buying it. But instead of a joke, Maya through her backpack over her shoulder and got up.

"Wouldn't you?"

With that, the bell rang and she left, the scent of her flowery perfume left in the air like an unspoken answer.


	6. Follow Your Arrow

Maya only spoke to him during labs, but their conversations would grow slightly with each new interaction. If she was in a normal mood, she would only speak when asking for a chemical, or giving him instructions, but if she was in a good mood she would add a jab or two, a playful tease that Lucas supposed should have made him angry but only managed to make him laugh. Lucas found these jibes made going to chemistry more bearable, if a little enjoyable.

Lucas had tried talking to her during their morning English class, but she had just given him an odd look before cocking her head to the side and choosing to ignore him. He still did not know what to think of this enigma. Most his classmates seemed to have lost interest in the blonde girl, but the quarterback still found his gaze sweeping the room in search of her trendy clothing and bold shoes. Every time he felt he had made a conclusion about her, she would do something to prove him wrong. She was like the world's most intricate puzzle, with pieces that looked like they could fit one way but ended up being slightly too big or small to connect. Of course, Lucas had never been good at puzzles-patience had never been his friend.

It wasn't until Halloween that some pieces finally began to fit in place.

It was nearing the end of football season, their big game against the high school in Kyle. And, unsurprisingly, they had lost miserably.

Lucas may have been the quarterback, but that did not mean he was a _good_ quarterback.

He tried, really he did. He went to every practice, lifted weights with the guys after classes, ate a decent diet and studied the plays, but he could never really get into the sport-not the way his dad had. Sure he had a few good games, and he managed to do well enough on the field to secure his spot on the team as a sophomore, but their was a fire that could never quite be lit on the field, like a broken match continuously trying and failing to set a flame, but Halloween night had been the worst he had done all season, and his dad had made sure to let him know that the moment he stepped off the field.

" _If you only tried a little harder,_ " Lucas could imagine his dad's voice as he saddled his horse, controlling the anger surging through him as he tightened the stirrup. _"Then maybe you could have not looked like such a pansy out there."_

But those words would have to wait for tomorrow, because right now Mr. Friar was giving his infamous silent treatment, the one loaded with the heated gaze ready to shoot disapproval and disappointment any chance he got. It was that same gaze that brought Lucas out to the barn the moment their truck pulled up home, not even bothering to change out of his team jersey and tennis shoes.

As Lucas rode underneath a starry sky, he let out a series of heavy breaths that had nothing to do with the slow ache creeping in his muscles. He could have gone out with the team after the game, shaken off the loss at the fire pit two miles from the field and joined the rest of Lee High School with beer pong and kegs, letting alcohol boost his spirit. But the thought of joining his friends in the same scene the people of Buda had done for generations, recreating party after party until graduation where they would slowly mold into their parents made Lucas want to ride his horse and never return. No one ever left Buda, Texas. They went to the same high school with the same with the same last names. Lucas was his father, just without the football talent, and like his father he would graduate in two years and go straight to ranch life.

He thought that was what he wanted, ever since he was a kid all he ever wanted to do was be a real cowboy like his father. But as the time ticked close to the day his life sentence in the borders of Hays county would be finalized, Lucas found the idea of being stuck to watch his own future son go through the same motions he was repeating now like wearing boots two small in the heat of summer, restless and uncomfortable.

At least maybe his future son would be a better quarterback.

Lucas cantered away from his problems, feeling the cool-night air against his skin as he held the reigns. The clock might have been ticking, but out on the open fields the world was timeless; stuck inside a perfect moment of just him and acres of untouched land. Or at least, that is what he thought until he saw a certain New Yorker lying just over the creek.

At first Lucas thought she had been an animal, a careless deer too lazy to find its herd, but as he got closer the silhouette of a girl could be depicted as an outline in the cloak of night. He got off his horse, holding the reins so it trailed behind him as he got closer to see Maya Hart lying with her face up to the sky, eyes wide open and not even bothering to turn in his direction. Her usual giddy up had been discarded for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and her normally styled curls were unbound and reckless.

"You do know I wasn't kidding about the coyotes," he said, unable to hide the amusement in his voice despite his bad mood.

"I thought I did not have to worry about that anymore," Maya shot back immediately, still looking up at the sky. "I mean, after all, you have my name now."

Lucas did not respond. He stood there, studying her face as he waited for her to say something else, but she remained silent. He moved forward, hesitated, and then climbed down beside her on his back, eyes trained on the stars. They stayed there for a few hours, held down by the weight of the cicadas and their own breath.


	7. Save It For A Rainy Day

**A/N:** I'm so glad people have been enjoying this story! I hope as it starts to pick up all of your lucaya feels will be satisfied. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. Reading what you guys have to say makes my day. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

Maya was more peaceful during the night, Lucas began to realize after finding her lying out on his family's land for the fourth night that week. He had never noticed how tense she was at school, the rigidness of her posture as she walked down the halls with her shoulders squeezed close so not to hit anyone that ventured in her path. Her chin was held high, but her gaze was low, like a lamb masking as a lion. But out on the field, everything was relaxed. Her sharp blue eyes softened, her body melting against the long blades of yellowed grass, and her breathing became so slowed Lucas often thought she had fallen asleep.

Lucas had come out every night after Halloween, curious to see if could find the blonde outside once more. He checked the spot where she had been the day previous, but found it to be empty, but on his ride back to the barn he saw her a few yards away, between two trees that had yet to lose their leaves. Once again, she said nothing as he sat down beside her, but fluttered her eyelashes towards the stars and kept breathing.

The third night. That had been the breakthrough. Lucas left his horse to walk, not feeling it fair to the animal to force it to wait for him so late. He had walked around aimlessly for a bit before finding her on yet another part of the land, and the extra steps did nothing to help the tiredness he felt from a long afternoon of practice. It was the Monday after their big loss, and the coach had not been easy on his players.

Almost instantly Lucas had fallen asleep, the ground below never feeling so inviting as he felt his eyelids close before he could stop himself. What felt like seconds later, he felt something hit his face. once. twice. a third time.

He opened his eyes to see Maya Hart criss-crossed beside him, tearing up small pieces of a crumpled piece of notebook paper she must have had stuffed in the pocket of her jeans, smashing small pieces into little balls to throw at his face.

"Rise and shine, cowboy," she said, as Lucas propped himself on his elbows. Too tired to be surprised that she was talking to him, Lucas ran a hand through his hair and groaned.

"You couldn't give me just a few minutes of peace?"

Maya snorted, and Lucas noticed how her nose wrinkled like a rabbits. "Try two hours. I have to get home."

"Oh, why didn't you?"

In the dark he could almost make out the slightest blush rising to the blonde girl's cheeks as she turned her face, arms crossing over her chest.

"You're the one who kept going on about coyotes," she mumbled, and Lucas grinned.

"Are you worried about my safety?"

"Of course not, Huckleberry," she said, scoffing. "I just don't know how I would explain it to my best friend if I let my lab partner get eaten."

But Lucas was still giving her his wide-toothed grin, and after a moment of keeping a straight face the petite blonde's lips curled upwards.

It was only after he had managed to return home to his bed did Lucas realized that was the first time he had seen Maya smile.


	8. Act Naturally

**A/N:** These next few weeks are going to be super busy for me as I am getting ready to move back to school. I am planning to reply to all your lovely reviews as soon as possible, but please be patient with me as I attempt to get everything done before I leave.

Anyways, apologies for this ultra-mini chapter but next chapter is my absolute favorite of what I have written for this piece so far. I hope you will love it as much as I do, but for now enjoy!

* * *

That had been the beginning of their conversations under the stars. Every night Lucas would go out and meet Maya-he wasn't sure how early she came outside, but every time he came out after sunset she was outside, claiming a new spot of land as her campground for the next few hours. It always started with a greeting, a tip of an imaginary hat and a southern-thick "Mam" where she would respond with a snort.

Their talks where casual, impersonal commentary followed by pauses of comfortable silence. Lucas would point the sky and tell her to look at a certain constellation, and Maya would make up her own for him to see. Sometimes they would talk about school, homework they were struggling to get through and silly things their classmates did throughout the day (Maya was observant-how could Lucas have missed Emily spilling hydrogen peroxide over her lab coat after being distracted by her crush on Dylan?). It was funny, because they never interacted during the school day despite sharing nearly eight periods of it next to one another.

Despite the simplicity of these moments lying next to the blonde girl who was not-quite a stranger but far from a friend, Lucas found himself looking forward to the moment the sun would set and he would trek outside in search Maya Hart's newest location. When he was Maya, staring at the stars he did not need to give a charming smile, or throw a threatening punch, or obediently listen in silence to orders he did not give a damn about. It wasn't so much he could be himself- they spoke too little to reveal much about their character to one another even though Lucas was always trying to figure out hers- but he did not have to be anyone. He was just a breathing body enjoying the same sky as the person next to him.


	9. What We Ain't Got

**A/N:** Sorry for the late update! Fridays are always a little bit crazy as I spend about 4 hours of my day on a bus and another 5 in an office. Huge thanks again for everyone who is sticking with this story in all its quirks. It means a lot to me.

If you like this style of mini-chapters, I suggest you head on over to tiramisuspice's _I Do (Not)._ She is trying a similar format with her new story and I know yall will be more than happy to send her and her beautiful writing some love and support :)

Enjoy!

* * *

It had been a week since their first night conversation, when the person next to him began to become more than just a presence.

"Are they always like this?" Maya suddenly spoke out of nowhere. Lucas turned his cheek to face her, brows knitting in confusion. When he did not answer her right away, she clarified. "The stars," she said pointing her hand in the air. "I come out here every night and sit in a new place, looking for a spot where they aren't so perfect, but I can't find one."

If Lucas did not know any better, he would have thought her voice was distraught, but he did not dare speak as she continued.

"I mean, it just isn't right," her voice was speeding up. "No place can be so fucking hunky-dorey all the time. Even the sky has to screw up in some places, right?"

It was then she turned to him, and there was a glistening in her blue eyes as they met his own. It took him a moment to think of a response.

"Is the sky different in New York?" Lucas finally asked, his voice hesitant and still laced with confusion.

Maya blinked, realizing they had been staring at each other. She adjusted her body on the ground, turning her face back towards the sky.

"Everything is different in New York," she finally breathed, and Lucas watched as her eyelids closed over her blue irises. "But _especially_ the sky."

Lucas continued to look at her face, studying the petite girl. He had never been curious about what lied beyond Texas towns. One look at Maya Hart and he thought he knew everything he needed to know about the city; it was full of people wearing shiny shoes and blank faces. But watching her eyes open, and the sparkle they took as they reminisce about New York, he could not help but wonder if there was more up north than he originally thought.

"How so?" he breathed, watching Maya as she bit the corner of her lip.

"It is full of light," she started, hands reaching into the air as if mapping it out for him. "City lights. From the bars down the shadiest allies, to the spotlights on Broadway, and small apartment windows. Most places it is too bright to see the stars, but the lights..." she paused and shook her head against the grass, her loose blonde curls waving behind her head. "The lights are all around. No matter where you go, they follow you."

Lucas tried to imagine it, but the vision that came to mind was too fanciful to be real, but the way Maya spoke of it made it seem as if they were no longer lying out on his family's ranch, but on top of city rooftop, cloaked in the light she described.

"And here?" he asked, not sure why.

Maya turned her face back to him the second time that night, and just like that her features became blank.

"Here," she whispered. "All the light is stuck in the stars."


	10. Nobody to Blame

A/N: Wow it has been a hot minute. Sorry about the hiatus. Life is busy, and I don't really know what this story holds. I just hope y'all enjoy :)

* * *

It wasn't till late October when they finally began to talk at school.

"Dude, it won't take more than a few hits I promise. I know he graduated three years ago, but the dude is a stick, man."

Zay was leaned over the cafeteria table, voice lowered as if speaking in secret despite the attentive listeners at their table. Delilah and Madison were pretending to be interested in their food, eyes shifting over to the two boys and then at each other while Dylan and Asher watched from the perspective places beside Lucas and Zay, ready to pitch in once the plan of an ambush was put in motion. Lucas sat stock still, a fist forming in his lap.

"I told you, I can't do this anymore, Zay," Lucas said after a pause, his voice low and controlled.

"Come on, man. It is just this one time. I only need help convincing the guy for a tiny extension on the money I owe him. It's not even on school property so there is no chance of getting held back-" Lucas cut him off.

"Held back?" he asked, his voice raising. "You know, Zay, one day there is going to be worse consequences than having to repeat a grade. We're going to turn eighteen soon, and when that happens there is no more detention. I'm not going to always be able to fight your battles, so maybe it is about time you find another way to win."

The whole table was staring directly at Lucas now, along with some of the other students who sat close by. Zay did not respond immediately, mouth hanging open before slowly closing into a tight line.

"I thought you were my friend, bro," he said. "What happened to always having my back?"

Lucas didn't answer, but got up and grabbed his lunch tray, ignoring the stares he felt follow his back as he made his way across the lunchroom, grip tight. He stopped when he arrived at the corner, directly in front of the petite blonde. As he slammed his lunch tray down on the table she looked up from her sketchbook, but did not say anything as he sat down and began eating. Instead, she watched him as he chewed on a rubbery piece of broccoli until he met her gaze.

"Can I join you?"

Maya gave a shrug; her blue eyes flittered to the center of the lunchroom where Lucas' friend stared blatantly at them.

"I don't know, can you?"

Lucas paused, broccoli hanging mid-air. He looked up at the blonde across from him, feeling the tension in his body fade away, and a small smile came across his face.

"Yeah, I think I can."


	11. Somebody Else Will

The fact that Lucas Friar was hanging out with Maya Hart seemed to be an interesting topic of conversation among the students of Robert E. Lee High School.

Every morning Lucas would sit by her desk at first period, and she would waltz in just before the final bell in some strange New York attire, and nod her head in his direction with a "Sup, Ranger Rick" before falling into the seat next to him.

They sat together in most of their class now, exchanging the occasional playful banter and inside jokes Lucas had not known they formed. Football season had passed, leaving his afternoons free, and though they never walked out of school together somehow they would end up traipsing across the opposite ends of the dirt road until one of them would turn to hop the Friar's fence and find a new spot to sit down on the open field. What had been comfortable silence turned into commentary on the day's events, on life, on anything that came to their mind, and Lucas found himself walking home underneath the stars with a grin so large it hurt and the linger of a laugh on his tongue.

It is Thanksgiving Day when Lucas found her in the Friar barn, petting the nose of his horse, Apple—a name he had given the beast back when he was seven—with a tenderness uncommon in her touch. Maya looked up at him as he entered, surprise on her features as she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?" Lucas responded, sporting a grin. The sight of Maya, who still managed to wear shiny, impractical shoes and black leather jackets despite having lived in the western state for three months, in his barn managed to both look completely natural and totally out of place at the same time. "I mean, after all, this is my property."

"You can't tell me that Texas' most Huckeberry family isn't celebrating Thanksgiving," Maya said, her hand moving away from Apple's long nose to point accusing finger in his direction. "Which is why I get to ask, Ranger Rick, how did you manage to escape? Sneak away while the relatives where saying grace over the Turkey or manage to leave through the back door while everyone was distracted by football, that game you oh-so-secretly detest."

Lucas shook his head, but his smile remained. The whole Friar family was packed into their small little ranch house. With a hoard of relatives asking him about school, friends, and most annoyingly his relationship status, the green-eyed boy had ducked outside for a bit of fresh air. He had planned to hang out in the barn alone till nightfall knowing that his mom and dad would be too busy to go and look for him, but Maya's appearance was a pleasant surprise that tempted to make what would have been a moderately unpleasant day into something tolerable.

Recently, Maya seemed to make everything tolerable.

Lucas looked between the blonde girl and the horse, his eyes shifting back and forth. He clicked his tongue, and idea striking him.

"Have you ever ridden before?"

"Excuse me?" Maya asked, the disgusted look overcoming her face clearly insinuating that she had misunderstood him. "If that is some euphemism for fucking in a barn, then you can forget it, Sundance."

Lucas shook his head, raising his hands in defense, as he felt his throat tighten and he quickly pushed her statement out of his mind. "No! I meant have you ever ridden a horse before."

Maya blinked at him as if she did not quite understand the question, so Lucas continued.

"You haven't, have you?"

"Of course not," Maya said. "I don't know if you know this, but we don't really have room for stables on the streets of New York City."

"Ahhh," Lucas breathed. His smile had turned mischievous as he took a few steps forward so he was leaning over the small blonde. "Well lucky for you, Short Stack, this isn't New York City."


End file.
